JAPAN is closely monitoring the Philippine government’s ongoing anti-corruption investigation into flood control projects, a senior official from the Japanese Embassy said.
Naobumi Yokota, Minister for Economic Affairs at the Japanese Embassy in Manila, said that, so far, no Japanese-funded infrastructure projects in the country have been linked to the corruption allegations.
‘Japan continuously reviews the implementation of its Official Development Assistance [ODA] in the Philippines,’ Yokota told members of the Rotary Club of Manila during a regular meeting on Thursday.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier revealed that funds intended as the Philippine government’s counterpart for ODA projects were allegedly diverted to budget insertions backed by lawmakers for the 2025 national budget. He warned that some ODA-funded projects could be at risk of cancellation due to the lack of local counterpart funding.
Japan remains the Philippines’ top ODA donor, supporting major infrastructure initiatives such as the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway.
Yokota said Japan welcomes the Philippine government’s efforts to investigate and address corruption.
He also noted that during a bilateral ministerial meeting held in September, Japan affirmed its commitment to continue supporting ODA projects in the pipeline.
‘We understand that the Philippines is working to reallocate its budget for appropriate use. This will certainly help facilitate the ODA assistance that Japan provides,’ Yokota said.
He added that, to date, Tokyo and other Japanese stakeholders have not raised any concerns regarding the corruption issues surrounding Philippine infrastructure projects.